Butter wouldn't melt
by Sapphire1112
Summary: One shot. The two women of the Lyell centre are up to no good... I do not own the characters.


Clarissa and Nikki were chuckling quietly to each when the men arrived that morning. Thomas just ignored them – it didn't bother him, but Jack didn't like being excluded from 'office jokes' and it irritated him immensely. He spent many occasions over the course of the day trying to extract information, but neither of the women were giving _anything_ away – though they did throw him a red herring...

Nikki came into the lab and winked at Clarissa. "I need a bit of _eye candy_!" She commented. "Please tell me you kept _those_ photos?"

Jack looked up with interest. _Photos?_

"The ones of _Jack_? What the _topless_ ones?"

Jack nearly choked on his coffee. _Eye Candy_? _Topless photos_ – of _him_? _What_? - Or more to the point... _when?!_

"Mm-hm" Nikki nodded. "I want to _look_ at them... _again_..."

"There on here _somewhere_. I saved them in a folder called _'Sexy hunks'._ "

Jack nearly choked on his drink again.

Nikki looked up at him and giggled. " _Easy_ , tiger!" She glanced back at Clarissa. "Shush! You'll give him an _inflated ego_!"

"You're the one who called him _'eye candy'_!" She chuckled back.

Thomas came into the lab, having been stood by his office door for a while, listening. "Sorry – _'Sexy Hunk_ _(_ _s_ _)_ _'?!_ How _many_ have you two got on there?!"

"Just Jack!" Nikki answered brightly.

"I _might_ have put a few of Max on there..." Clarissa added, vaguely.

" _Clarissa!_ " The younger woman complained.

"Well, he _is_ my husband!" Clarissa retorted.

Nikki sighed, dramatically. "Fine. I guess I'll let you off – as long as you _keep_ the ones of _Jack_ on there!"

Thomas cleared his throat loudly. "Urm, I'm not sure that this is _work-related_ , ladies..."

"Oh shush, Thomas!" Clarissa chuckled, " _This_ is our lunch hour and we _all_ need a bit of _enjoyment_ out of life sometimes..." She turned back to Nikki, opening her drawer. "I've got chocolate and popcorn, so – _salty or sweet_?"

Jack nearly choked on his coffee for a third time and the three of them looked at him.

" _Sip it_ , Jack! That's the _third_ time you've nearly choked on it!" Nikki exclaimed – as though she had no idea _why_ it kept happening. She looked at Clarissa. "Salty. _I'm_ sweet enough already!" She took the popcorn and sauntered past Jack to the brand new microwave that now stood next to the kettle. Having started the machine, she turned to see Jack staring open-mouthed at her, his mug leaning dangerously in his unguarded hand. "What?" She commented lightly as the microwave buzzed and whirred behind her.

" _Argh! Shit!_ " Jack leapt out of his chair and yelled in response to the coffee that sloshed into his lap. It was a knee-jerk reaction – the coffee wasn't really hot any more.

" _Oh Jack – be careful!_ " Clarissa scolded him as Nikki walked back into the lab with the popcorn. "Shall we look at them in ' _HD'_ again?"

" _HD?!_ " Jack suddenly found his voice.

" _High Definition._ " Clarissa explained – though it was pretty clear from his face that Jack _knew_ what it meant and had actually been protesting against their activities – which seemed to be growing in ridicule by the minute.

After that, Nikki and Clarissa spent the rest of their lunch hour munching on popcorn and _apparently_ pouring over the photos – much to Jack's annoyance, though in reality they were actually watching a DVD with no sound.

"Hungry, Jack?" Nikki called over to him at one point. "Want some popcorn?" She smiled at him, playfully.

"No thanks." He muttered, standing up and leaving the room. No matter _how_ annoyed he was with the situation, he couldn't be angry with Nikki, when she smiled at him like that.

" _Oh, Jack!_ _Come! Join us!_ " Clarissa exclaimed – somewhat over-enthusiastically, when he returned.

"No thank you!" He snapped at her sharply. "I don't wish to sit _gazing_ at pictures of myself! - _or_ pictures of _Max_ for that matter!" He slumped into his desk chair, looking glum and fed up.

Nikki giggled slightly – but she knew when it was time to stop. She didn't want the harmless banter to turn into something else. She didn't want him to be upset. She walked over to him, stood behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Cheer up, sweetheart. We're only teasing you. We were watching a DVD."

" _Really?_ "

"Mm-hm" She gave him a peck on the cheek. "Ok?"

Jack rubbed her arms and gave her hand a squeeze. He nodded. Nikki always knew how to make him feel better. She leaned down and whispered in his ear so that Clarissa couldn't hear her.

" _Good luck for your fight later, darling_."

That evening, Jack went off to his fight more or less happy – although he was aware that he still hadn't got to the bottom of whatever was going on at work, the words from his lucky charm were spurring him on.

 **The next morning...**

Jack came into work with the familiar cut by his eye – that weak spot.

"Morning!" Nikki said brightly.

"Morning" he replied.

" _So..._ " Clarissa commented, coming over to them, " _How_ did your fight go then?"

"Well, I _lost_ the _first_ round..." He started as Thomas leaned against the door frame of his office, folding his arms across his chest.

Clarissa smirked and held out her hand. Nikki rolled her eyes and sighed, before getting out her wallet and handing the older woman a tenner. Jack and Thomas stared at the two women, open-mouthed.

Eventually, Jack found his voice again and continued. "...but then I _won_ the _other rounds_ , so I _won_ the _whole fight_."

Now it was Clarissa's turn to sigh. Nikki smiled at Jack delightedly, as the older woman grudgingly handed back the tenner. " _That's my man!_ " Nikki giggled, replacing the money in her wallet. "I _knew_ you wouldn't let me down, Jack!"

"W...what?" he stammered.

Thomas cleared his throat and chuckled. "Let me get this straight. You two had a _bet_ on _Jack's fight?_ "

Nikki nodded "Mm-hm. I backed the _right_ horse. I _knew_ he'd _win_!"

Jack grinned broadly at her.

" _What?_ You think women can't make _secret_ bets?!" Clarissa retorted indignantly to Thomas's look of amusement.

Thomas sighed. "You, - a _total stranger_ would _know_ you're 'secretly betting' Clarissa! Nikki? You look at her and think _'Butter wouldn't melt'!_ "

"Ooh, Clarissa!" Nikki and Jack sniggered. "Need to work on your _poker_ face!"

" _I had my lucky charm_ " Jack whispered in Nikki's ear, handing her a cup of tea. Nikki smirked as he added. " _hm-mm, 'Butter wouldn't melt', indeed! - but I know better!_ "


End file.
